Threats include introduced rats, feral cats, pigs, dogs, nickel mining, and light pollution.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeMedium
RarityUncommon
HabitatPelagic; mostly offshore and over open ocean, occasionally seen from coastal headlands during passage.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from February.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Nicolas Delelis
Range map
Range map
274visible hotspots
3302visible records
2states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Look for the combination of very long narrow wings and a heavy bill. Flight style is typically rather relaxed with slow powerful wingbeats. Breeds on islands in the South Pacific.
Behavior
Found over warm tropical waters, where it can be seen singly or in loose groups with other seabirds over productive feeding areas.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Western Australia
Queensland
Commonly confused with
Kermadec PetrelPterodroma neglectaIndeed, sometimes Kermadec Petrels chase and pirate other petrels, as do jaegers and skuas. Herald Petrel is very similar, but is smaller and slimmer with a longer and more tapered tail, and lacks white shafts on upperwings.→Cook's PetrelPterodroma cookiiFlight varies from low and weaving, into the wind, to high and arcing across the wind. Note gray cap and upperparts with dark M pattern across upperwings and dark tail tip. Underparts are white with very narrow black margins to wings. Many birds off Mexican coast are in wing molt.→Mottled PetrelPterodroma inexpectataSlightly larger and heavier-bodied than Black-winged, Bonin, and Cook’s Petrels.→